Moving Pictures

Mingus Mill - Great Smoky Mountains Sometimes getting lost has it's benefits. Like locating the Mingus Mill in the Great Smoky Mountains . My intention was to find Clingmans Dome - the highest point in Tennessee. I was doing my best to follow the directions on my GPS which suddenly cut out right at the sign for Clingmans Dome. Clearly I should have been keeping an eye on the road, not the tech but I zipped right by the tiny sign for the turn off. I then started an ear popping descent with hair pin turns and no possible turn around. Not until I came across this old cabin a few miles down the road and a few thousand feet down the mountain side. I was happy to pull over and pry my fingers loose from the steering wheel. We don't do turns and hills here in Florida and in the Tennessee mountains they don't do straight and level. Not even the parking lots. It was a bit of a driving shock. In one of those "well since I'm here" moments and not yet convinced I ...

Entrance to the Lost Sea Adventure - Sweetwater, TN I like this photo because it is one of the most unnatural photos I've ever taken yet leads to one of the most impressive natural wonders I've yet experienced. At the end of this tunnel is the Lost Sea Adventure . I'm not sure if what lies beyond the tiny tour guide far in the back of the photo qualifies as a sea. What I did find was a really big lake, glass bottom boats, spooky lighting, dripping water, and schools of hungry fish ready to swarm over snacks tossed by the guide (who was much larger than the photo indicates). The lost Sea Adventure was one of many, out of the way, lightly visited, travel spots far off my intended path that I just had to check out. As usual, it was well worth the detour.  The fact that not a single person I know has ever heard of it let alone seen it sort of makes it my special find. I took a few shots inside but the lake is so big my meager, on board flash could not hit the walls of t...